The Internet is used for numerous activities that include secure communication between devices or elements that are managed by a common entity. For example, a corporation may have hundreds or thousands of remote devices that are disbursed geographically over many hundreds of miles. To provide secure communication to all of their devices, a corporation will utilize the Internet in combination with additional security protocols. This provides an efficient mechanism for providing communication for the entire enterprise.
Administrators of these distributed networks require secure communication paths to each of the remote devices. Unfortunately, many of the remote devices may not have the resources necessary to provide such communication. Further, it may be unfeasible to provide such capabilities on each remote device.
Communication networks commonly contain many network elements that require maintenance and configuration. Many of the network elements lack sophisticated resources for providing a secure communication path to a central location. If an administrator desires to manage multiple network elements from a remote location, the administrator would require that each of the network elements have sophisticated communication capabilities between the administrator's locations and network elements' location.
In other applications, network operators may wish to provide users with access to high-bandwidth virtual private networks (VPNs). For example, a local law enforcement agency may want to provide each unit with the capability of sending highly sensitive data to a central node. Each unit may be equipped with numerous devices such as a portable computer, handheld computers, video cameras and other electronic devices. Unfortunately, each device would be required to have the proper security and communication resources and would then have to establish its own communication link.